The present invention relates to eyeglass frames, and more particularly to a pull-down member attached to an eyeglass frame through a pin, which protects against the inclusion of foreign objects and which assures reliable frictional engagement between the pin and an eyeglass temple.
It is very inconvenient when eyeglasses slip down the nose of the user and have to be continuously adjusted on the user's face. This is not only inconvenient, but particularly hazardous when it comes to safety glasses. If safety glasses are not continuously positioned atop the user's nose so as to adequately protect the eyes, injury can occur from flying objects and debris because the eyes were not properly shielded.
This problem of eyeglasses slipping down the user's nose is a very common occurrence in warm weather, but also occurs when the user is involved in a physically demanding activity. It is under these circumstances that a user is most vulnerable to injury even though he or she is wearing safety glasses, if those safety glasses are not properly positioned on the user's face and retained in such position.
The slippage of eyeglasses from the user's nose can also counter the positive effect of ultraviolet protection offered by many eyeglass lenses. Eyecare professionals, as well as eyeglass users, are concerned about the harmful effects ultraviolet radiation can have on the eyes, and in particular its possible linkage to cataracts and other eye diseases. Most optical laboratories offer ultraviolet protection for their lenses. However, if eyeglasses slip as little as one-quarter of an inch (approximately six millimeters) down the user's nose, a significant amount of ultraviolet radiation could be incident on the user's eyes. If the eyeglasses slip as much as one inch down the nose, then almost all the ultraviolet protection provided by the lenses is ineffective and virtually all the ultraviolet light strikes the eyes.
Approximately 60 percent of the eyeglass wearing population wears multifocal lenses, such as bifocals, trifocals, etc. The position of the segments of these multifocal lenses is critical and varies with the type of lenses, as well as the position of the user's eyelids in relation to the eyeglass frame. If the user's glasses slide one quarter of an inch, the position of a pair of bifocals may be displaced 100 percent from where the segments should be positioned. By looking through the incorrect segments of multifocal lenses, an individual may not only be inconvenienced, but could be injured because of impaired vision.
The displacement of eyeglasses worn by sportsmen also poses problems, especially with respect to sporting glasses specialized for fisherman, cyclists or golfers. With respect to each of these sports, as well as many others, individuals complain about their eyeframes falling off or sliding down their noses. Fisherman often lose their glasses in the water, golfers cannot tolerate the slightest movement of their eyeglasses, and cyclists do not like to risk moving their hands to push their glasses back into position. Thus, there are numerous and very real problems associated with the displacement of eyeglasses from their proper position on the user's face.
To rectify these problems, devices such as elastic or elasticized bands are attached from one end of an eyeglass temple to the other end to retain the eyeglasses on the user's face. However, these elastic bands are often uncomfortable and cause the eyeglasses to rub against the user's nose and ears causing irritation. Also, it is very common that when one wishes to employ such elastic bands or straps, they cannot be found or located because they are not a permanent attachment to the eyeglasses. Since these elastic straps or bands are relatively inconspicuous, they are easily lost or misplaced at a time when they are most needed. While it is not uncommon to see athletes and workers use these elastic bands, there are nonetheless many disadvantages inherent with their use.
The problem of eyeglass slippage has for many years been addressed by the use of what has commonly been known as "cable temples" or "curl temples." These temples simply wrap around the ear. Originally, such temples were made of metal, but in more recent years they have been covered with plastic or silicon, and in some applications arc completely fabricated from plastic. However, the problem with cable temples is that most eyeglass users find them uncomfortable. The reason is that the curvature of the cable temples do not match the curvature of the user's ear. Individuals not only have different size ears, but different shaped ears. Also, the shape of an ear is not a smooth curve. Since the curvature of a cable temple is fixed, it cannot be easily contoured to the curvature of a user. Further, since cable temples "wrap around" the user's ear, they tend to exert pressure in some areas and are loose in other areas. Thus, the cable temples are not an adequate solution to this vexing problem.
Prior art eyeglasses, like those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,322, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, provide a pull down member ratchedly coupled to a temple through a split pin. The split pin allows the pull down member to be rotated with respect to the temple to a plurality of predefined positions thereby securing the glasses to the user at a desired location. However, as the pin is split thereby defining a gap, foreign objects, including a user's hair, may inadvertently enter and be retained in the gap defined by the split pin. Additionally, the pin is held within the temple through only frictional forces. A long period of use or the introduction of a lubricant, such as sweat for example, could decrease this frictional force and undesirably allow the pin to rotate within the temple when the pull down member is rotated. If the pin rotates along with the pull down member, the pull down member cannot be maintained in a desired position thus frustrating the intended purpose of the pull down member.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a pin which couples a pull down member to eyeglasses, that avoids the introduction of foreign objects and which will remain stationary while the pull down member is rotated.